[2] This developed as the settlement of Stour-in-Usmere, which was later the subject of a territorial dispute settled by Offa of Mercia in 781, when he restored certain rights to Bishop Heathored.

The earliest written form of the name Kidderminster was first documented in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Chideminstre, meaning 'Cydda or Cydela's minster or monastery'.

[4] It was a large manor held by William the Conqueror, with 16 outlying settlements (Bristitune, Fastochesfeld, Franche, Habberley, Hurcott, Mitton, Oldington, Ribbesford, Sudwale, Sutton, Teulesberge, Trimpley, Wannerton and Wribbenhall).

[3] To the south by the River Stour, dating from the 15th century, is a single surviving tower of Caldwall (or Caldwell) Castle, a fortified manor house.

[5] Kidderminster owes its growth to the early development of the cloth industry, which was aided by its position upon the River Stour, and its location at the confluence of four main roads to Birmingham, Dudley, Worcester, Bewdley and Bridgnorth.

[7] Following King Louis XIV's revocation of the Edict of Nantes in October 1685 and the subsequent renewed persecution of French Protestants in France, many Huguenots emigrated to Britain.

The immigration and settlement of waves of industrious Huguenots brought the benefits of skilled artisans, merchants and manufacturers to Britain.

They contributed to a preexisting but basic cloth weaving industry in towns and cities throughout England, in some cases establishing new businesses.

[18][19] Aided by a 2004 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, a museum dedicated to the Kidderminster carpet industry was officially opened by Lord Cobham in 2012.

At the following election in 2023 the Conservatives regained majority control after a collapse in the independent and former Health Concern vote, one of only two council gains nationally.

The area (initially as Kidderminster, then after 1983 as the Wyre Forest constituency) has been represented by Conservative Members of Parliament (MPs) Gerald Nabarro 1950–1964, Tatton Brinton 1964–1974, Esmond Bulmer 1974–1987, Anthony Coombs 1987–1997, and Labour MP David Lock 1997–2001.

In the 2001 United Kingdom general election, the town returned Dr Richard Taylor as an independent MP for the Wyre Forest parliamentary constituency.

[25] Kidderminster's parish church of St Mary and All Saints' is a grade I listed building dating mostly from the 15th and 16th centuries.

[29] In the 1968 Buildings of England volume on Worcestershire, Pevsner described the town as: "uncommonly devoid of visual pleasure and architectural interest.

"[30] Crown House, an early 1970s office block was particularly criticised, and was once rated among the top 10 ugliest buildings in Britain.

[31] In the 2007 revision of this volume, Alan Brooks wrote: "the 19th century mill buildings, together with the churches, provide most of the architectural interest in a town otherwise uncommonly lacking in visual pleasures.

There are direct bus links with towns including Worcester, Halesowen, Bewdley, Stourport, Bridgnorth, Bromsgrove and Redditch.

Kidderminster College is located in Market Street in the town centre, having moved from older premises in Hoo Road in 2003.

Local rivals of the Harriers were traditionally Worcester City and Bromsgrove Rovers, and in recent years also Cheltenham Town and Hereford United.

That same year they eliminated Birmingham City from the FA Cup; they eventually reached the fifth round of the competition (just missing the quarter-finals), where they hosted Premier League side West Ham United, narrowly losing 0–1.

Prior to Lincoln City's run in the competition in 2017, Harriers were the last non-league side to reach round five of the FA Cup.

A strong FA Cup run in the 2021–2022 season led to the Harriers facing Premier League side West Ham in, as they had done in 1994.

The affair ended in a 1–2 defeat, yet the game led to major economic benefit for the club, with TV money and ticket sales generating large amounts of income.

Harriers beat Alfreton, Kings Lynn and finally Brackley in the Play-Offs and regained promotion to the National League.

[34] Another green space is Wilden Marsh, a nature reserve covering 94 acres (38 ha) to the south of Kidderminster.

[36][37] The Wyre was the town's first local commercial radio station; it began broadcasting on 12 September 2005 from studios in Kidderminster.